Perspectives
by riga789
Summary: New Year's over the years, from Maya and Riley's PoVs
1. Maya

**To my guest reviewers Jess and Anonymous, Happy New Year and thank you for the lovely feedback on my previous fic _Sanctuary_! Jess, I came across the phrase "cow eyes" in another book, and it seemed _perfect_ for Lucas. I couldn't not use it! Also Shawn, poor guy! Unlike most other fathers, he didn't have a decade and some years to get used to the idea of his daughter dating. But, he'd argue, in his defense, at least he's not as bad as Cory! :)**

 **Thank you both and Crimson and Chrome 42 for your reviews.**

 **On to the fic: I don't own the GMW characters. Hope you enjoy this! Happy new year!**

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 **Chapter 1 — Maya**

Chapter summary: _Maya's always had mixed feelings about New Year's. But this year, it's different._

...

Maya has always had mixed feelings about New Year's.

When they were little, it was usually just her, Riley and Farkle. They'd be at the Matthews' apartment, and Mrs. Matthews would make them big mugs of hot chocolate after dinner as a treat. The three of them would curl up together in the bay window, where Farkle would recount his plans of taking over the world in great detail, while Maya doodled in her small notebook and Riley cuddled Beary the bear.

And every year, her two friends would be determined to stay awake until midnight only to fall asleep beside her in the bay window well before the clock struck twelve. Maya, who'd been a light sleeper ever since her father left, and was used to staying up late and getting only a few hours' sleep every night, would usually see the new year alone.

Farkle finally managed to stay up with her past midnight in fourth grade, and Riley joined them in sixth grade, and together they watched the fireworks from the roof of the Matthews' apartment building. It was Maya's last entirely happy New Year's for a while.

...

The New Year's in eighth grade, in their last year of middle school, was the night Maya ended up in a triangle with her best friend and the boy they both liked. It was the night Maya joined Lucas on the Matthews' rooftop, hope in her heart and her heart in her eyes instead of hiding behind a façade, because it seemed as if, for once, she wasn't going to be punished for putting her own happiness first, ahead of Riley's. And she got both her hope and her heart crushed, because of course, since when was the universe ever kind to a broken, messed up girl like her?

...

On New Year's in freshman year of high school, Maya decided she had to move on.

The events before and during their ski lodge trip had left her exhausted. Riley insisted Maya only liked Lucas, and was getting good grades and not racking up detentions, because she had 'become Riley'. Lucas told Maya he didn't like their teasing and bantering, making her realize she had misunderstood his feelings for her.

There was only one thing Maya could do, so that's what she did: she removed herself from the triangle so that Lucas and Riley could be together, as they wanted.

And though Maya and Josh had decided they might be right for each other someday, Zay's words had made her realize it wasn't fair on either of them to not be able to live their lives _now_. If she and Josh decided in the future — when they were both older and not in such drastically different places in their lives as they were as a high school freshman and a college freshman — to date each other, then they could definitely do that. But for now, she needed to move on from him too. So, she'd spoken to Josh and called off the long game.

And when their classmate Brandon asked Maya to be his girlfriend at the New Year's eve party at the Minkus penthouse, she said yes.

Brandon was one of the very few people Maya was close to outside of her immediate group of friends. In many ways, they were a lot alike. They were both a bit rough around the edges, a bit dark. Like her, he too came from a broken home (though Maya now realized that she and her mom and Gammy Hart were a whole family by themselves even before Katy married Shawn). Like her, he struggled with not believing that hope was only for suckers. And like her, he had feelings for someone who did not reciprocate them.

Maya had hung out with Brandon quite a bit during the summer before they began high school, when Riley had been in Philadelphia with her grandparents, Lucas and Zay in Texas, and Farkle busy with some or other summer academic thing. It had set the foundation of what would become a truly strong friendship. She liked him, she was comfortable with him, he liked her, he was comfortable with her. So, dating Brandon hadn't seemed like a bad idea at all.

By the time New Year's came around, they had already been on a couple of dates, though Maya hadn't yet told any of her friends, not even Riley, because she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. But Brandon was fun to be with, and she truly believed they might be able to help each other move on.

She refused to think anything about the way Lucas's eyes had been on her the whole night, or that he'd apparently left the party when Brandon kissed her by the tall glass windows of the Minkus' ballroom at midnight. He probably disapproved of her behaviour and her decision to date Brandon, because he didn't like Brandon much in the first place. But he had chosen Riley, and Maya's decision to date anybody else was none of his business.

She found out the next day, when she turned up at the bay window to tell her best friend her news and found her in tears, that Lucas had broken up with Riley at the party. Despite her own happy circumstances, it was impossible then to think of New Year's as good when her best friend was so sad.

...

Maya had her own New Year's eve breakup in sophomore year, when she and Brandon decided to end their relationship. They'd long confessed to each other that they still had feelings for other people, and it didn't make sense to call themselves boyfriend and girlfriend anymore when they were just friends — close friends, but nothing more. They both decided it was best to start the new year with a clean slate.

Still, it was the end of her first proper relationship, and Maya couldn't deny that it left a bittersweet feeling inside her.

She spent the party (being held at the Matthews' apartment once again) surrounded by all the people she cared for. Her friends did everything they could to distract her from the fact that she'd just broken up with her (now ex-)boyfriend, and Maya had to admit they were pretty successful, though one person in particular might be the reason. Lucas stayed by her side the entire night, unwilling to leave her alone and refusing to let her mope.

Maya and Lucas had become close again after drifting apart for a bit when she'd tried to get over him by dating Brandon, and his concern made her feel warm and safe. She had to remind herself more than once that Lucas only cared for her as a friend, nothing more. That was how he'd always seen her.

She noticed, when she and her friends headed for the roof just before midnight, that Farkle held Riley back. Frowning, she was about to protest — she wanted her best friend by her side when the clock struck twelve — but Lucas caught her hand and shook his head. Puzzled but not unduly worried, Maya let herself be led upstairs. She could always find out from Riley tomorrow what Farkle wanted.

And when midnight struck and fireworks exploded in the sky above, Maya found herself laughing, squished between Lucas and Zay into the tightest group hug ever, while Smackle struggled and squirmed, and scolded both Lucas and Zay for flirting with her in front of each other. Maya looked up to find Lucas's eyes on her, looking at her the way he'd done back in middle school. The steady, rapt look that had once led her to believe he had feelings for her.

"Happy new year, Maya." His voice was low, and his eyes were full of some emotion she couldn't place.

Just friends, she reminded herself. "Happy new year, Lucas," she smiled back at him.

The light in his eyes dimmed for a moment, but then he seemed to shake off whatever had affected him, and pulled her into a tight hug that Maya returned wholeheartedly. The feeling of warmth and safety flooded her again.

She may have just broken up with her first proper boyfriend, but she always had her friends. And despite her own weird headspace, New Year's didn't seem so bad after all.

...

In junior year, New Year's eve _feels_ different. Maya, Katy and Shawn are hosting the party this time, in the bigger, nicer apartment they moved into soon after Katy and Shawn got married. Everyone Maya loves is here: family, friends, and other people who are important to her and her parents.

Mrs. Matthews and Mr. Minkus are standing by the windows, and from their loud voices and exaggerated hand gestures, Maya thinks they're probably comparing how many A's they each got in college or something. It's amusing to watch.

Shawn is talking to Farkle's mom and Harley Keiner, their middle school head janitor, both of whom he and Mr. Matthews knew back in their high school days. Matthews is chatting with Lucas's Pappy Joe, who's visiting New York for the holidays with Lucas's Grandma Mabel. Maya's Gammy Hart, Lucas's mom Lillian and his Grandma Mabel are seated not far, having a quiet conversation of their own.

Maya's mother has probably gone inside to check on Maya's six month old baby brother Patrick, while Auggie and Ava have already fallen asleep together on the couch.

Her friends are grouped around the dining table: Riley, of course. Farkle and his new girlfriend Haley. Smackle and Zay, who've been pretty blatantly flirting with each other since Halloween. Brandon, failing miserably to appear mysterious and cool when he's smiling like a complete dork at his girlfriend Sarah.

Riley's been quieter than usual lately, and though Maya noticed this a while ago, she sensed that her best friend needed some space to think about whatever was bothering her before she talked about it. But Maya thinks it's time for her and Riley to have a proper talk in the bay window tomorrow, so Riley can finally tell her what's wrong. She thinks she has an idea about what might be on Riley's mind.

"It's only a few minutes to the New Year, people!" Katy announces as she comes back into the living room, and the noise level immediately goes up.

Maya looks around for the one person who's nowhere to be seen. He was talking to Brandon, Zay and Farkle earlier, and then with Mr. Keiner, but after that he'd disappeared. She's about to ask Zay when someone takes her arm and tugs her behind the large Christmas tree, where they're partially screened from the rest of the room.

"Ranger Rick!" Laughing, Maya turns to face her boyfriend. She and Lucas have been together since the end of the summer, and it still doesn't cease to amaze her that they found their way to each other despite everything.

"Shortstack." Lucas wraps his arms around her waist, grinning at her like the heehaw he is.

"What happened to your shirt?" she asks, adjusting the collar of his plaid flannel that she'd claimed for herself a few months ago. He must have found it in her closet and changed, because he'd arrived wearing the t-shirt she'd given him for his birthday, which listed every single nickname she'd ever called him.

"Your baby brother," Lucas wrinkles his nose. "I held him for like a second, and he burped, and threw up a bit of his dinner on me."

"He recognises a sucker when he sees one!" Maya grins. "Last week, he threw up all over Matthews. You should've seen his face!" A thought strikes her. "Huh. Dumping food on other people — in whatever form — seems to be a Clutterbucket family trait. My mom threw food and smashed cake on Kermit's face when he came to visit. You know, during the forgiveness project in middle school."

She watches as Lucas scans her face, confirms that she isn't sad or upset when she mentions her biological father. And still decides to change the subject because he doesn't want anything her to think about anything that might make her unhappy, especially tonight. "And you dumped two smoothies on my head on our first date," he says.

"Best date ever!"

Lucas snorts. "At this rate, and with you as his role model, Patrick will dumping stuff on people's heads by kindergarten."

"Oh, do stop with all the compliments," Maya pretends to wipe a tear. "You'll have me bawling my eyes out in a minute!"

"Hey Shortstack," He tugs a lock of her hair to get her attention. "Have I ever said anything nice to you?"

It takes her a second to realize he's not just asking her a (in her opinion, rather dumb) question out of the blue; he's repeating word for word what she said to him on New Year's eve three years ago on the Matthews' rooftop. It catches her off-guard. "Why?" she asks him, suspicious. His smile is a bit too innocent.

He sighs dramatically. "Do you have to spoil the moment? I'm trying something here!"

"Fine! Yes," she rolls her eyes but replies to his first question, going along with their game. "You say nice things all the time, you never stop! I don't know how I put up with you. You're such a corny, gooey, cheesy huckleberry sap!"

"You forgot mushy," Lucas grins and draws her closer. "Well, here's one more to add to the list: It's one minute to midnight, and I'm glad you're standing here with me."

Maya blinks before pressing her lips together to stop them from breaking out in a wide smile. It's bad enough that her eyes are probably shining like a besotted fool's. "You think you're cute," she begins, scrunching up her nose. "Now you'll want me to say something mushy too! I don't do mushy, Huckleberry. It'll ruin my street cred!"

"I promise I won't tell anyone," he whispers mock-conspiratorially in her ear. "But for the record, it was pretty mushy when you said it to me three years ago, too."

"Okay fine, but just this once," she grumbles. " _Mad Dog_."

His mouth falls open. "Did you just—?"

"You've been pestering me ever since we started going out," Maya mutters as the crowd in the living room begins yelling the countdown. "Don't let it get to your head."

"Are you kidding? This is the greatest day of my life!"

"You're such a dork!" she groans, but she's smiling as she grabs his shirt collar and pulls his face down closer to hers. "It's midnight, and I'm glad you're here with me too."

.

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 **Thank you for reading! Please leave a review, feedback is very much appreciated!**


	2. Riley

**Chapter 2 — Riley**

Chapter summary: _New Year's eve used to be one of Riley's favourite times of the year. But this year, she just wants the night to be over._

...

New Year's eve used to be one of Riley's favourite times of the year.

When they were little, Maya and Farkle would sleepover at her house that night. They'd have big mugs of hot chocolate after dinner and curl up together in the bay window. Farkle would recount his plans of taking over the world in great detail, while Maya doodled in her small notebook and Riley cuddled Beary the bear.

And every year, Riley would be determined to stay awake until midnight and see the new year in, only to fall asleep well before the clock struck twelve. She deeply envied Maya, who was able to stay up late with no effort at all, just like the adults did.

Riley finally managed to stay up with Maya and Farkle in sixth grade, and together they watched the fireworks from the roof of the Matthews' apartment building. It was beautiful and magical, and Riley decided New Year's was her third favourite festival (after Christmas and Halloween).

...

The New Year's in eighth grade, in their last year of middle school, was the night Riley ended up in a triangle with her best friend and the boy they both liked. When Farkle publicly announced that she still liked Lucas in front of their whole class, Riley was mortified. But she was also secretly relieved.

After their trip to Texas, Riley had done what any good friend should do and stepped back from Lucas so Maya could have a chance. It wasn't as if anything was going to happen between Maya and Lucas. Lucas didn't like Maya the way she liked him, and Riley was sure he would gently but firmly make it clear to Maya that he only had feelings for Riley.

Riley had never in her wildest imagination dreamed that Lucas would have feelings for Maya too. She'd certainly never considered the possibility that he'd want to be with Maya, and wouldn't come back to her.

It had been difficult to pretend she didn't like Lucas anymore, that she thought of him as her brother when she was actually in love with him. But Farkle had put Riley's feelings in the open again, and now she wouldn't have to pretend any longer.

...

On New Year's eve in freshman year of high school, Lucas broke up with Riley. It came as a shock, completely out of the blue.

They'd been together ever since he picked her over Maya at the ski lodge, something Riley had known would always happen because she had known the second she'd fallen in his lap on the subway — before they'd exchanged a single word, before she even knew his name — that she had found her perfect prince, that she and Lucas were meant to be together forever, just like her parents.

Riley strongly believed that everything she and Lucas had been through ever since their trip to Texas had been a test of their love for each other. A test they'd passed. After all, hadn't they got past the triangle? Hadn't she helped Maya see that she only thought she liked Lucas because she had become Riley? Hadn't Lucas chosen Riley over Maya, and given her the purple jellybean? Hadn't he said that was his moment?

Granted, she was quite upset that he'd left to spend Christmas in Texas without informing her — his _girlfriend_ — of his plans. And it hadn't escaped her that though they were a couple now, there was no real change in Lucas's behaviour towards her. They didn't hold hands, they didn't kiss; he still treated her as if she was just a friend. Just as there were times Riley had caught him looking at Maya the way he used to back in middle school, as if he was mesmerized by her. But she could overlook such things in a relationship like theirs — she and Lucas were together, and in Riley's view, that was all that mattered.

She never expected him to return to New York for New Year's (she hadn't known about those plans either), much less for him to turn up at the party being held at the Minkus penthouse, and tell her he'd thought about their relationship real hard when he was in Texas and realized his feelings for her were platonic, not romantic. He didn't want to start off the new year with a lie.

Riley couldn't understand it. She and Lucas were supposed to be together forever, and not just for barely a couple of months. They were _meant to be_. But nothing she said made a difference.

And her stomach churned with the thought that maybe Lucas wasn't telling her the truth. Because after he broke up with her, Lucas spent the rest of the evening huddled in a corner of the Minkus ballroom, his expression miserable as he watched Maya smile and laugh with Brandon. He barely took his eyes off them.

Riley knew it was petty of her, but she'd felt a perverse sense of satisfaction at the expression on Lucas's face when Maya kissed Brandon at midnight. He'd left the party immediately. And Riley had spent the rest of the night in Farkle's room, clutching Farkle and crying her eyes out in his bed as he just held her in wordless comfort.

She couldn't even be happy for Maya about Brandon, because even though it wasn't the blonde's fault, Riley knew in her heart that her best friend was the real reason Lucas had broken up with her.

...

The New Year's eve of sophomore year was just awkward.

Despite her breakup with Lucas a year ago, Riley had still kept hope in heart that he would come back to her. But no matter how many hints she dropped that she was ready for them to get back together, it only seemed to push him further away.

That New Year's eve, Maya arrived at Riley's house (her parents were hosting the party once more) with the news that she and Brandon had broken up. Everyone comforted her — Riley, especially, knew how awful it was to end a serious relationship on a day like this. But it was Lucas who stuck by Maya's side the whole night.

Riley thought he was being a bit ridiculous; it wasn't as if Maya had been dumped. It was a mutual breakup, and she and Brandon were still friends. Not that they'd stay broken up very long, if Riley had anything to do with it. She intended to have a long chat with Maya, and make her see that she had to get back together with Brandon. It's what was best for Maya, she'd been happy with him. And Riley hadn't missed the hope that had leaped into Lucas's eyes when he'd found out Maya wasn't with Brandon anymore.

In the meantime, if there was any coddling to be done, it was Riley's job as Maya's best friend, not Lucas's, regardless of how close they had become over the past year.

But the worst part of the evening was yet to come. As midnight approached, Maya, Lucas, Zay and Smackle headed to the roof. But Farkle held Riley back with a quiet touch to her arm, and told her he wanted to speak to her. Puzzled, Riley followed him back to her bay window and listened, stunned, as Farkle told her in a rush of words that he had feelings for her and had been in love with her since the first grade.

At first, Riley thought he was just being his usual Farkley self and repeating what he'd frequently declared ever since they first met: that he loved her (and Maya). But when she saw the look on his face, she realized he wasn't saying it just as a joke. Farkle really believed he was _in love_ with her.

Riley was shocked. She loved Farkle too, but she wasn't in love with him. She couldn't let him get his hopes up about her when she didn't feel the same way about him. His breakup with Smackle at the end of freshman year, though mutual, had been a bit rough on him, and she didn't want to hurt her friend anymore.

"Farkle, you know how I feel about Lucas," she blurted when Farkle stopped talking for a moment.

Farkle blinked once, and Riley saw the defeat slide into his eyes before his expression shuttered. He swallowed and cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was gentle. "Riley, you and Lucas broke up a year ago. You know he has feelings for Maya."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Riley snapped, a little more forcefully than she'd intended. "Lucas doesn't like Maya. He's just looking out for her as a friend." She'd always believed that if one had high hopes and believed strongly and passionately in something, it would be true, and nothing anyone else said could ever change that. And Riley wanted this to be true more than anything.

"Riley—"

"Lucas and I are supposed to be together. It's just taking him some time to realize that. He'll come back to me once he comes to his senses," she said firmly, trying to quell the doubt — and the resulting anger and panic — in her voice.

"Come to his senses?" Farkle repeated, voice ringing with disbelief. "Riley—"

"Lucas and I belong together," Riley spoke over Farkle, not wanting to hear him say anything more about Lucas and Maya. But she gentled her tone, so he'd know she meant every word of what she said next. "You're one of my closest friends, Farkle, and I love you. But I can't be with you because I'm not _in love_ with you. It wouldn't be fair to either of us. And I could never hurt you, could never be the one to cause you such pain."

She left Farkle at the bay window and practically ran out of her room, all the way up to the roof, distressed. Farkle's confession had thrown her, but she didn't want to think about it at the moment. It was easier to worry that she had missed the opportunity to be with Lucas at midnight. She'd been hoping that getting Lucas alone and talking to him might rekindle his feelings for her, feelings she was sure were just dormant and not completely extinguished. They might even kiss, and everything would go back to being the way it was supposed to be.

But when Riley got to the roof, it was to see Maya in Lucas's arms in a tight hug. Her breath hitched at the sight of them. Lucas was holding Maya as if she was his most cherished thing in the world, and he never wanted to let go.

Riley barely registered the footsteps coming up behind her, and jumped a little when she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. Farkle. She met his eyes, which were full of sympathy and support. He squeezed her shoulder once, before pushing past her to go join the others. Riley miserably remembered that Lucas had comforted Maya with exactly the same gesture during the forgiveness project back in middle school, after Maya's meeting with her father hadn't gone very well.

She did eventually join her friends and tried to pretend she was having a wonderful time. But inside, she was upset, hurt and confused.

In Riley's universe, things were supposed to be a certain way. And all these years, she had looked out for her friends, and guided them so that they were all exactly where they needed to be. Lucas was her perfect prince, Maya was her extraordinary relationship, and Farkle was, well, her Farkle.

Then why did everybody insist on changing the way things were supposed to be? Why did they refuse to go on believing what Riley believed? How could what she believed be wrong?

...

It's New Year's eve in junior year, and Riley just wants the night to be over.

Maya, Katy and Uncle Shawn are hosting the party this year, in the new apartment they moved into soon after Uncle Shawn married Maya's mom. There are a lot more people present tonight than Riley expected to see. She didn't think Maya, Katy and Uncle Shawn even knew anyone other than the Matthews.

And yet, even in such a crowd, even with her best friends around her, Riley feels alone. Alone and more confused than ever.

She's been feeling this way for a while now. It's like she's become less important to her friends. Earlier, in middle school and the early months of high school, Riley used to be the focal point of her group. Maya and the others went along with whatever she wanted, said or believed, and only Smackle sometimes protested. The group's activities — both in and out of school — used to revolve around what Riley wanted to do. But over the years, especially in the past few months, it's as if Riley and her feelings, her opinions, have taken a back seat.

She felt it most acutely when Lucas and Maya told her they had begun dating and were together. It had taken her a full minute to realize they weren't asking for her permission or her blessing; they were _telling_ her of the change in their relationship.

She wasn't sure what had shocked her more: that Maya had put herself first, or that neither Maya nor Lucas had put Riley first. Either way, it had been obvious that Lucas and Maya weren't going to _not_ be together just because Riley didn't want them to. There had been nothing apologetic in their behaviour or their words. (And Riley knows they don't need her permission or approval to be together; they aren't doing anything wrong, and have nothing to justify or apologize for. But it doesn't stop her from feeling somehow... _wronged_.)

So she'd plastered a fake smile on her face, and told Maya and Lucas she was happy for them. After all, Lucas had broken up with her a year and a half ago; she was supposed to be over him by now.

But Riley is increasingly coming to realize that life rarely works the way she thinks and believes it's _supposed to_.

All this while, she's believed that she's the good, kind, responsible friend who gets good grades and no detentions, while Maya is the wild, rebellious, troublemaking friend who gets bad grades and detentions by the dozen, and who needs to be reined in and fixed by someone like Riley.

Yet Maya is the one getting good grades in high school, not getting detention, making new friends, in a steady relationship, and already working on preparing her portfolio for applications to college art programmes. While Riley is nowhere as popular as Maya, nor does she have as many friends or a boyfriend, and she doesn't have a clue what she wants to do after high school.

Riley believed she and Lucas were meant to be, that they'd be together forever, get married, have children, and live happily ever after on his ranch in Texas where Lucas would realize his dream of becoming a veterinarian. But he doesn't seem to be interested in becoming a vet anymore, he's hinted a couple of times at maybe joining the police.

And Lucas doesn't like her, he has feelings for Maya. And after four months of seeing them together, the difference in the way he treats Maya as his girlfriend and the way he used to treat Riley when he was dating her is stark. It's painful and humiliating to think that what she imagined she had with Lucas is completely different from the reality.

And yet, while seeing Lucas and Maya together hurts, it's the sight of Farkle with his girlfriend that's begun to hurt Riley even more.

She can't get over the unfairness of it.

She's never thought of Farkle as anything other than her dearest geeky childhood friend. She felt no different even after he told her he was in love with her. That was the reason she told him she didn't feel the same way — she cared about him and didn't want to hurt him by not reciprocating his feelings.

But now, suddenly, she's seeing Farkle in a whole new light. And he's stirring up all these thoughts and emotions in her that she doesn't know how to handle. There's happiness and sadness and nervousness and jealousy and panic and excitement. Feelings she thought she'd only have for Lucas, only to realise those emotions were mild compared to how she's feeling now.

And maybe she would have worked up the courage to tell Farkle that she reciprocates his feelings after all, except Farkle is already with someone else. Fate is playing a cruel joke at her expense, and laughing at her predicament.

One the one hand, it feels so much like Farkle's betrayed her. Didn't he promise to always love her, always be there for her, no matter what? He can't have liked her very much if he could move on from her so soon, she thinks waspishly.

But on the other hand, she's never seen Farkle so happy before. His eyes are soft and there's a dopey smile on his face as he listens to Haley chat with Sarah.

It's easy to see why Farkle likes Haley. She's smart, pretty, _popular_. She's a straight A student, a cheerleader, and her witty and insightful blog on high school life is followed not only by most of the Abigail Adams student body but also by a large number of people all around the world. Riley can't even bring herself to hate Haley because she obviously genuinely cares for Farkle, and isn't dating him just because he's recently risen in the school's popularity ranks. Or — as Maya puts it — become the school's newly crowned geek heartthrob.

But it doesn't lessen the pain she feels when she sees them together, sitting close with his arm around her, giving each other sweet smiles every now and then.

She can't believe this is happening to her. She's a good person, she's always looked out for her friends, and helped them and sacrificed so much for them. Doesn't she deserve a reward for doing good? _Being_ good?

Riley's thoughts are interrupted when the crowd in the living room begins shouting the countdown to midnight.

She sees Farkle lean in closer to Haley, Maya grabbing Lucas by his shirt collar and tugging his face down to hers. Even Smackle and Zay are eyeing each other appraisingly.

Suddenly, Riley knows she can't bear to be here even for a moment longer. She needs to get out.

As quietly and casually as possible, she moves to the back of the crowd, toward the front door. As the clock strikes twelve, she quietly slips out, hoping no one noticed her leave.

— Fin —

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 **Thank you for reading! Please leave a review, feedback is much appreciated!**


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